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How To Prevent Elder Abuse Before It’s Too Late

One way of preventing elder abuse is by carefully choosing an adequate nursing home facility. Factors like money, distance, and available services can all impact your decision-making process, but the time it takes to find the ideal nursing home is certainly worthwhile to ensure the safety and well-being of your loved one. If you believe your loved one has been subjected to abuse at their facility, contact an elder abuse attorney to help you get through this time of need and take legal action.

The Cost Of Living

Whether your loved one needs a short-term or a long-term stay, you always want to make sure they’re staying at the best nursing home possible. As with all things in life, finances do play a role in determining which facility your senior can move into. If they are only in need of short-term care while they recover from a hospital stay, Medicare covers all eligible expenses for the first 20 days of their time in a nursing home.

If they need long-term care, however, Medicare will not pay anything more than those first 20 days. Medicaid will usually take over half of the expenses of an extended or permanent stay at a nursing facility, but they stipulate that the senior live in a Medicaid nursing home and have at least one roommate. Depending on your finances, though, you do have other options available to you.

Funding a Long-Term Nursing Home Stay

Most nursing facilities that accept Medicaid also accept privately paid residents. Paying out of pocket can keep your senior close to home. If local Medicaid facilities are full, your loved one may be transferred to a location hours away. This can be devastating for seniors whose mental faculties are still present, and it can be extremely difficult for the loved ones left behind. It is also more difficult to check in on your beloved senior and ensure their well-being if they are so far away.

Paying privately for your senior’s living arrangements can also mean more privacy for them since you have more of a say in what kind of roommate situation they will have. However, if private funds run out and they have to switch to Medicaid, the nursing home can transfer them to a lower-cost room without your permission. This includes a room shared by multiple residents, subjecting your loved one to a more confined living space with less privacy.

In order to maintain the quality of life you want for your loved one, you need to budget their finances accordingly. Plan out how many years they might be staying at their facility and how much money is needed each month in order to keep them as comfortable as possible while they are there. Many times, it is simply a matter of transferring their funds from their previous living arrangements and grocery needs to their new home, where food and utilities are included in the cost.

Consider Your Loved One’s Needs

When narrowing down your options for a nursing home, one of the most important things to consider is the medical care that your senior needs. Visiting and touring the possible homes is the best way you can determine if it’s a good fit for your loved one. If possible, take them with you so they can let you know what they think. It is, after all, their future home. They should feel accepted, comfortable, safe and well taken care of.

While you’re looking at each option, talk to the staff members there to ensure they can provide extensive care such as assistance with getting dressed, going to the bathroom, bathing and taking medications. They should all the while encourage their patients to be as independent as possible.

Also, see if it’s possible to venture around unsupervised. This will allow you to get a feel for the facility without the pressure of a staff member nearby. More importantly, it can give you the chance to talk to other members of the community to get their thoughts and feelings on their home. Don’t be afraid to talk to the other residents and ask questions; the future of your loved one could depend on what they have to say.

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For more than 30 years, the lawyers of Stewart Bell, PLLC have helped the people and businesses of West Virginia protect their interests and rights. We understand the issues that injury victims and their families face after an accident and work quickly to obtain the MAXIMUM amount of compensation for every case we handle.

We have recovered MILLIONS of dollars for clients injured because of nursing home abuse, motor vehicle accidents or medical malpractice.

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